Written By: Ryan Humphries on Twitter & LineStar chat @Ryan_Humphries

Straight Locks🔒 | NBA Props w/ Shannon & Tyler!

DFS Main Slate Rundown 📰

Another sizable midweek slate heads our way with 10 games stacked up on the Wednesday docket. With 11 days left in the regular season and every team having between five and seven games left to play, this is your daily reminder to keep the current playoff standings in mind when building your player pool. There will still be worthy targets on the teams whose playoff hopes have been dashed for weeks/months, but it can help to give a little extra bump toward teams that have something left to play for! Best of luck!

https://www.nba.com/standings

Today’s Key Injuries:

Bucks: G. Antetokounmpo - Probable, K. Middleton - Questionable, J. Ingles - Questionable, J. Crowder - OUT, G. Dragic - Probable

Pacers: T. Haliburton - OUT, M. Turner - Questionable, B. Hield - OUT, C. Duarte - OUT

Heat: J. Butler - Probable, K. Lowry - Questionable, G. Vincent - Questionable

Knicks: J. Brunson - Questionable, D. Rose - Questionable

Rockets: J. Tate - OUT

Nets: B. Simmons - OUT, E. Sumner - Questionable

Mavericks: M. Kleber - Questionable, F. Ntilikina - OUT

76ers: J. Embiid - Questionable, J. Harden - Questionable

Lakers: A. Davis - Probable, L. James - Questionable, D. Russell - Probable

Bulls: A. Caruso - Questionable

Pistons: B. Bogdanovic - OUT, R. McGruder - OUT, I. Stewart - OUT, A. Burks - OUT, H. Diallo - OUT

Thunder: S. Gilgeous-Alexander - OUT, L. Waters III - OUT

Clippers: P. George - OUT, M. Morris Sr. - OUT, N. Powell - Questionable

Grizzlies: J. Jackson Jr. - Doubtful, D. Bane - Doubtful, T. Jones - Doubtful, S. Adams - OUT, X. Tillman - Questionable, J. Konchar - Questionable

Jazz: L. Markkanen - OUT, J. Clarkson - OUT, C. Sexton - OUT, R. Gay - OUT

Spurs: K. Johnson - OUT, D. Vassell - OUT, J. Sochan - OUT

Timberwolves: A. Edwards - Probable, K. Towns - Probable, T. Prince - Questionable, J. Nowell - Questionable

Suns: K. Durant - Questionable

Kings: None

Trailblazers: D. Lillard - OUT, J. Grant - OUT, J. Nurkic - OUT, A. Simons - OUT, T. Watford - Doubtful, C. Reddish - Doubtful

Main Slate Match-Ups w/ Game Totals & Point Spreads

Top DraftKings & FanDuel DFS Plays

Note: NBA position designations are never going to perfectly align between the major DFS sites. For the purposes of these newsletters, positional designations will default to DraftKings.

💫 = Favorite Play

Point Guards/Shooting Guards to Consider 🏀

💫PG Ja Morant, MEM | DK: $9k, FD: $9.9k | vs. LAC | Cash & GPP

When I initially began putting together the recommended guard plays for today, Ja Morant wasn’t necessarily going to be on my radar. However, some afternoon Grizzlies injury news has changed that. Memphis is now listing Jaren Jackson Jr., Desmond Bane, and Tyus Jones as doubtful to play tonight while Xavier Tillman and John Konchar are listed as questionable to play. Ja Morant dealt with a thigh injury that kept him out of last night’s game, but he is officially off of the injury report today and is fully expected to play. Assuming Morant does suit up and plays a full complement of minutes, he’ll be taking on a hefty offensive workload (assuming all of those “doubtful” players end up sitting) and this should easily be his best fantasy performance since returning from his suspension by the team due to the boneheaded off-the-court antics. Another plus is the fact that the Clippers have allowed THE most FPPG to starting point guards over their last 20 games.

PG/SG Immanuel Quickley, NYK | DK: $7.8k, FD: $7.2k | vs. MIA | Cash & GPP (If Brunson is out)

This play could go out the window if Jalen Brunson (hand/questionable) suits up. But with how well Quickley has played in his stead, the Knicks should have no reason to rush Brunson back unless he is truly 100%. Assuming Brunson sits for a third consecutive game, Quickley is going to stand out as a strong DFS target despite his elevated salaries and a tough match-up with Miami. He has poured in at least 25 points and 47.25 DKFP in four of his last five starts and he is entering off of a mammoth 40-point, 62.0 DKFP performance against the Rockets on Monday. If Brunson is active, Quickley likely won’t receive enough run to pay off his current salaries but he’s a rock-solid play if he’s the Knicks’ starting PG again tonight.

💫SG Mikal Bridges, BKN | DK: $7.6k, FD: $8.1k | vs. HOU | Cash & GPP

Going back to the suggestion to “target players on teams with something to play for” at this point in the season, it would make sense to keep some Nets players on the radar. Brooklyn, who is currently a half-game up on the Heat in the Eastern Conference standings, is fighting to hang on to their sixth seed in the East, which is the final guaranteed playoff spot. Despite some less-than-ideal recent match-ups, Bridges is averaging 34.3 PPG and 48.75 FPPG over his last three games. The match-up meter flips to the “overwhelmingly positive” side of the dial tonight when the Nets host the defensively challenged Rockets (29th in def. efficiency). Bridges dropped 30 points and 45.0 DKFP against the Rockets earlier this month and any sort of repeat performance would provide some nice value on his current DFS salaries.

Other Guards to Consider:

PG/SG Tyrese Maxey, PHI | DK: $8.9k, FD: $8k | vs. DAL | Cash & GPP (If Harden is out / bump if Embiid is out)

💫PG/SG Josh Giddey, OKC | DK: $8.5k, FD: $8.3k | vs. DET | Cash & GPP

SG/SF Zach LaVine, CHI | DK: $8.1k, FD: $8.1k | vs. LAL | GPP Preferred

💫PG Spencer Dinwiddie, BKN | DK: $7.6k, FD: $7.9k | vs. HOU | Cash & GPP

PG/SG Jaden Ivey, DET | DK: $7.2k, FD: $6.6k | @ OKC | GPP Preferred

SG Shaedon Sharpe, POR | DK: $6.7k, FD: $6.9k | vs. SAC | GPP Preferred

💫SG/SF Luke Kennard, MEM | DK: $5.4k, FD: $5k | vs. LAC | Cash & GPP (Assuming Jackson Jr., Bane, and T. Jones are all out)

💫PG/SG Keon Johnson, POR | DK: $5k, FD: $5.7k | vs. SAC | Cash & GPP

SG/SF Isaiah Joe, OKC | DK: $4.8k, FD: $5.5k | vs. DET | GPP Preferred

Small Forwards/Power Forwards to Consider 🏀

💫PF Jalen Williams, OKC | DK: $7.2k, FD: $7.1k | vs. DET | Cash & GPP

Now that Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (ankle) has been ruled out for back-to-back games, we should feel pretty good about going back to Jalen Williams at his low-$7k salaries. Williams’ +3.1% usage boost with SGA off the court represents the second-highest usage bump on the team and that helped lead to a 31-point, 48.75 DKFP performance in last night’s game versus the Hornets. Williams and the Thunder receive another strong match-up against a shorthanded Pistons team that has ranked 28th in defensive efficiency this season. The Thunder also rank third on tonight’s slate with a 121.8 implied team total, which bodes well for Williams who should be no worse than the number three scoring option tonight (Josh Giddey and Isaiah Joe being the other two candidates to lead OKC in shot attempts).

SF/PF Jordan Nwora, IND | DK: $5.2k, FD: $5.4k | vs. MIL | Cash & GPP

The Pacers’ postseason hopes are slim but not completely dashed but they’ll have an uphill battle against the top-seeded Milwaukee Bucks this evening. Indiana has some key players sidelined tonight with Tyrese Haliburton, Buddy Hield, and Chris Duarte already ruled out while Myles Turner is listed as questionable. A guy like Jordan Nwora will be asked to pick up a lot of slack left behind by those injuries. He checks in with some very palatable salaries on both sites tonight and in his last 20 games as a starter, he has averaged 0.98 FPPM. Barring a massive blowout, Nwora should be able to log 30-35 minutes and he put up 32.25 DKFP the last time he faced his former Bucks team this season. A similar result would be some welcomed value at the forward position.

💫PF/C Santi Aldama, MEM | DK: $4k, FD: $4.4k | vs. LAC | Cash & GPP (Assuming Jackson Jr., Bane, and T. Jones are all out -- extra bump if X. Tillman is out)

We’ll meander back to the Grizzlies roster that, all of a sudden, looks as if it will be very shorthanded in tonight’s game versus the Clippers. Santi Aldama has averaged a solid 0.90 FPPM this season and the 7-footer could be in line for a significant minutes boost if he slides into the starting lineup tonight. Memphis has been without center Steven Adams since late January, PF/C Brandon Clarke suffered a season-ending Achilles injury earlier this month, and now PF/C Jaren Jackson Jr. (calf) is listed as doubtful while PF/C Xavier Tillman (ankle) has been handed a questionable tag. We have to assume that JJJ won’t play tonight and even if Tillman is able to suit up, Aldama should receive enough minutes to pay off his $4k/$4.4k price tags given the lack of big man depth available for the Grizzlies this evening.

Other Forwards to Consider:

PF/C Giannis Antetokounmpo, MIL | DK: $11.6k, FD: $11.6k | @ IND | GPP Preferred

SF Jimmy Butler, MIA | DK: $8.7k, FD: $9.6k | @ NYK | DK Preferred

SF/PF DeMar DeRozan, CHI | DK: $8.3k, FD: $8.8k | vs. LAL | Cash & GPP

SF/SG Talen Horton-Tucker, UTA | DK: $6.9k, FD: $6.3k | @ SAS | FD Preferred

PF Kelly Olynyk, UTA | DK: $6.8k, FD: $6.8k | @ SAS | Cash & GPP

SF/PF Nassir Little, POR | DK: $5.1k, FD: $4.7k | vs. SAC | Cash & GPP

SF/PF Kevin Knox II, POR | DK: $4.2k, FD: $4.3k | vs. SAC | GPP Preferred

Centers to Consider 🏀

💫C Zach Collins, SAS | DK: $6.4k, FD: $7.2k | vs. UTA | Cash & GPP

The abysmal Spurs can be a tough team to trust but they’re back in familiar shorthanded territory tonight with Keldon Johnson, Devin Vassell, and Jeremy Sochan all ruled out. Zach Collins has been a great DFS option since taking over the starting center role for San Antonio and he has averaged an impressive 1.25 FPPM over his last 20 starts. Collins has logged at least 28 minutes in five of his last six starts and, in those games, he posted DKFP totals of 34.75, 42.0, 41.0, 49.5, and 44.25. This match-up carries the highest combined pace on the slate which means ample scoring opportunities and an increased chance for someone like Collins to rack up peripheral stats. Barring any foul trouble, Collins should play 28-32(ish) minutes tonight which, as he has shown lately, is plenty of time for him to post a quality fantasy score.

💫C Jalen Duren, DET | DK: $5.1k, FD: $6.7k | @ OKC | DK Preferred

Duren's $6,700 salary on FanDuel makes him much more of a risky GPP play, but he could very well be a steal at $5,100 on DraftKings. Duren has not been starting lately but he is handling quality minutes off of the bench and he’s been an excellent per-minute fantasy player, averaging 1.37 FPPM in his last 20 games (as a reserve player). Within his last seven games, he has had four performances where he scored at least 36.75 DKFP, and the Thunder have ranked 26th (L20Gms) versus opposing bench units. Despite his high upside, Duren’s DraftKings ownership should stay relatively low since many choose to avoid him due to his status as a non-starter.

Other Centers to Consider:

💫C Joel Embiid, PHI | DK: $11k, FD: $11.8k | vs. DAL | Cash & GPP (Note: Embiid is currently questionable)

C Walker Kessler, UTA | DK: $7.3k, FD: $7.9k | @ SAS | Cash & GPP

C Brook Lopez, MIL | DK: $7k, FD: $8k | @ IND | GPP Preferred

💫C Xavier Tillman, MEM | DK: $5.3k, FD: $5.7k | vs. LAC | Cash & GPP (Note: Tillman is currently questionable)

C Drew Eubanks, POR | DK: $4.7k, FD: $5.6k | vs. SAC | DK Preferred

NBA Player Props 📊

Player Prop or Bet | Odds | Unit Bet Size

Jalen Williams OVER 20.5 Points | -102 (FanDuel) | 2.0 Units

Walker Kessler OVER 2.5 Blocked Shots | +110 (DraftKings) | 2.0 Units

PrizePicks Power Play ⚡

Here is a two-pick “Power Play” I’m liking for today's NBA action over on PrizePicks! Nothing is ever a guarantee to hit but I put my own money on these bets so I don't just lightly throw these out there without believing they'll cash! If it hits, it will return 3x the wager.

Note: It looks like PrizePicks is dealing with some technical issues at the moment and submitted picks aren't going through. When they resolve that problem, this will be my two-pick power play of the day. Can we hit four in a row?!?

Grayson Allen MORE than 18.5 Fantasy Score

Spencer Dinwiddie MORE than 36.5 Fantasy Score

🆕 Props AI 🆕

In LineStar’s ongoing mission to improve, innovate, and help you reel in some cash, we are introducing Props AI for NBA – available for LineStar Premium users! This tool can help you find value and mispriced odds on player props from sportsbooks and, more specifically, for PrizePicks and UnderDog Fantasy!

Speaking of props, put the Props AI tool to use by signing up for PrizePicks (Promo code: BETFULLY) or Underdog (Promo code: LINESTAR). You'll receive a 100% match on first deposits up to $100 PLUS a free two-month subscription to LineStar Premium. Many people may not realize that you can legally place prop bets in most states using UnderDog (or PrizePicks) – it’s called Pick'Em, and it’s incredibly easy.

That will wrap us up with today’s “Daily Dribble” edition! Once again, you can find me on Twitter or in LineStar chat @Ryan_Humphries. Good luck everyone!